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  She ignored his question. In an imploring gesture, she raised her hand at the same time his walkie-talkie sounded, and watched him absentmindedly slip the device from his belt, never taking his eyes off her.

  "Yo. This is Wade."

  Pierre spoke rapidly in French. A second later, Schmitt's voice interrupted, like he'd grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Wade, you need to get back to the house pronto. There's some weird shit goin' on."

  Wade frowned. "What kind of weird shit?"

  "You'll find out when you get here."

  "On my way."

  He replaced the device and said to Fawn. "Can't be as weird as finding you wandering around the back pasture. Come on and I'll give you a hand up. We'll ride back to the house and you can tell me how you got here."

  Fawn shook her head and raised a staying hand. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Gabe has kidnapped Zoe and Mrs. Porter."

  For a second Wade's expression was blank, as if he didn't understand her words. Then he exploded. "What the hell! How do you know? Is that what Schmitt was talking about?"

  "Yes."

  Wade nudged Misty forward until he could reach down and grab Fawn. "Come on, let's go!"

  "Wade, I know where they are."

  He stopped mid-motion and frowned. "What the hell is going on, Fawn?"

  Fawn's heart pounded. She had to reveal herself. "Listen to me, Wade. I'm going to show you something incredible and I don't want you to fear."

  "Fawn, I don't have time for this bullshit. If you don't get on the horse with me, I'll leave you here."

  He reached toward her again and she backed away.

  "I'm not human, Wade." She shifted into the white mare.

  For an instant, Wade didn't react. Then myriad expressions crossed his features: incredulity, shock, fear. He spurred Misty backward.

  "What the…?" he exclaimed.

  Fawn shifted back into human form and for endless seconds they stared at each other. She said, "We've got to go now. When I shift again climb on my back." She shifted and Wade stared dumbfounded at her, unmoving. She shifted back.

  "Wade, we don't have time to waste. Gabriel has Zoe. Trust me."

  Again, she became the white mare. Her words must have penetrated Wade's stupor, because he dismounted Misty and started toward her, pausing mid-stride, and then covering the distance. Grasping the white mare's mane, he mounted, but before he was fully astride, Fawn fled in the direction of Hidden Canyon. She could feel Wade bending low over her back and she ran faster than she ever had, disregarding obstacles that normally would have made her cautious. They reached the cliff pillars at the canyon's entrance and she felt Wade bend lower. In her ear, he whispered, "Easy, easy."

  She slowed her pace, but only slightly. When she reached the spring below the Anasazi ruins, she halted. Gabriel sat swinging his legs over the edge of the cliff.

  "Hello!" he called and waved with his free hand as if they were close friends. In his other hand he held a gun.

  Wade dismounted. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Fawn shifted and grabbed his arm to stop him from rushing up the pathway.

  Gabriel said, "That is totally awesome, Fawn. Shift into your namesake."

  Fawn ignored him, aware of Wade glancing back and forth between the two of them.

  Gabriel stood. "Fawn, haven't you forgotten something. I have Zoe and the old lady. I told you to shift again, and I meant it." His voice turned ominous. "Do it!"

  Fawn shifted into a fawn and quickly back again. Gabriel clapped his hands like a child. "Now do that cow thing."

  Fawn shifted into a cow and back. She looked quickly at Wade, his expression incredulous and his mouth gaping.

  "Now shift into your true form," Gabriel shouted.

  Fawn lifted her gaze to Wade's emerald one and held it a few seconds. She lowered her eyes, prayed, and shifted. Looking up again she waited for his reaction.

  "Oh, my God!" he rasped, and stumbled backward.

  Gabriel laughed gleefully. "Her beauty kind of knocks you senseless, doesn't it? Just think, Wade, you've had this…this…aberration of creation sleeping under your own roof. Oh, and by the way, gossip has it that you're sleeping with her. Is that true?"

  Wade turned his incredulous stare from Fawn to Gabriel and replaced it with hatred. "Where's my daughter and what do you want with her?"

  Fawn shifted back into human form. Gabriel looked from Wade to her. "Of course, he doesn't know."

  "Doesn't know what?" Wade demanded.

  "Who I am." As if in supplication he stretched his arms out. "I've waited a long time for this moment. I'm your brother-in-law, Kristal's twin brother. I'm Zoe's uncle."

  For a second Wade stood speechless and then shouted, "Bullshit!"

  "I kinda expected that reaction. If there's one thing I've learned while pretending to be a cowboy, it's that they certainly have colorful language."

  While Gabriel and Wade had been sparring words, Fawn had been assessing the situation. She interrupted, "What do you want from us, Gabriel?"

  "Oh, I don't want anything from you except entertainment. Zoe has what I want."

  "You bas—" When Wade started to speak Fawn placed her hand on his arm to stop him. She said, "Zoe's a child. What could she possibly have that you want?"

  Gabriel scratched his chin as if thinking about her question. After a moment he said, "Knowledge."

  Fawn wanted to keep him talking. "What kind of knowledge?"

  "She hears the voices just like I do. I want to know about…" He stopped speaking and grinned. "Why don't we stop shouting back and forth? Come on up so we can be civil." He gestured with his gun.

  Fawn looked at Wade and nodded. She started toward the cliff trail and close behind her Wade said low, "How long have you known about him?"

  She wanted to ignore his question because he would think worse of her when she answered. "A few months."

  He sputtered, "And you didn't tell me about this lunatic."

  She hastened up the path. When she stepped onto the cliff ledge, her attention was immediately drawn to Zoe, bound and gagged and sitting next to the sipapu with wide and terrified eyes. Gabriel stood above her with the gun. Fawn turned and placed both her hands on Wade's shoulders when he stepped onto the ledge, pushing against him to restrain him. She hissed, "Don't do anything stupid. We've got to wait for the right timing." She felt him press forward and then stop. The hatred in his eyes for Zoe's captor chilled her to the marrow.

  She turned back toward Zoe and scanned the rest of the area for Mrs. Porter. The poor woman, also bound and gagged, was sitting and leaning against crumbling stones near the back of the ledge. Her terrified eyes darted among the players. Fawn returned her attention to Gabriel. "You've got us where you want us. Now what?"

  Gabriel sat beside Zoe. Waving the gun, he motioned them into the ceremonial area. "Sit over there." He pointed the barrel of his weapon at the circular stone bench built into the wall of the kiva.

  Fawn glanced at Wade and saw his barely perceptible nod. He led the way to the bench. She placed her hand on his forearm to remind him they needed to wait for the best time to react. Gabriel had obviously lost touch with sanity and they had to play his game for now.

  The madman turned his attention to Zoe. With feigned gentleness of voice, he said, "Zoe, I'm going to free your mouth. If you scream, I'm going to hurt your daddy and Fawn. Do you understand?"

  Zoe's eyes widened even more and she gave a jerky nod. Fawn felt Wade stiffen. Gabriel held the gun in front of Zoe's face while he reached and pulled the gag down slightly. When she didn't scream, he eased it over her chin. She looked from Wade to Fawn and big tears streamed from her eyes.

  "Zoe, Zoe," Gabriel continued in a gentle tone. "It's not that bad. All I want you to do is listen to the voices and tell me what their saying about the coming Prince."

  Zoe stifled a sob.

  "You do know about the Prince, don't you?" Gabriel waved the gun again and then pointed it at Wade and Fawn. Zoe bit her bot
tom lip and jerked her head up and down. An unearthly grin contorted Gabriel's mouth. He leaned toward Zoe. "What do they say? I really don't want to shoot your daddy and Fawn."

  The floodgate of tears opened and Zoe gulped, "Which voice, the ugly ones or…or…the pretty one."

  Gabriel jerked upright and repeated her words. "The ugly ones or the pretty one… I've never heard the pretty one."

  Fawn heard Wade's barely perceptible hiss.

  "Zoe, I'm starting to hear the voices. Can you hear them?" A change in Zoe's expression from fear to absolute terror indicated she could. "Listen, and tell me what they're saying. I especially want to know what the pretty one is saying. Listen!"

  Unable to place her hands over her ears as she normally would, the child twisted her head from side-to-side and her face contorted in agony. Fawn gripped Wade's arm to keep him from darting across the kiva while they watched the unfolding horror in mute silence. Zoe began to moan and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

  "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Gabriel shouted. "Louder, louder!"

  The air electrified and all nature sounds ceased. Fawn glanced at Mrs. Porter who had her eyes squeezed tightly shut. The moment of Zoe's torment seemed to continue infinitely.

  Suddenly, Zoe closed her mouth and her silent scream stopped. Whereas her countenance had previously reflected torture, it now reflected wonderment. She blinked her eyes rapidly and looked at Fawn.

  "What? What?" Gabriel leaned toward her. "Tell me what you know."

  Fawn sought to buy time and said, "Why do you want to know about some prince? What does a prince have to do with this craziness?"

  Gabriel turned his glazed eyes on Fawn. "Don't play coy with me, bitch!"

  Next to her, Wade issued a low growl and she dug her nails into his forearm to stay any action on his part.

  Gabriel's eyes never left her face. "I know that you know something; that's why you're here. I've heard the rumors whispered among the covens about a Coming One who will change everything. It wasn't until I heard the voices that I understood the reality of it, and even though the voices are garbled, certain words stand out. 'Beware…coming Prince'!"

  A focused stare replaced Gabriel's glazed eyes and he smiled at Fawn. "Imagine the adoration and power I'll wield among those like me when I know the identity of the dreaded Prince. I'll become the messenger of doom for the Prince. He'll never be safe from me or my kind."

  Fawn watched Zoe's expression turn from wonderment to horror. She screamed, "No! I won't let you hurt him!" And with all the force in her tiny body she threw herself at Gabriel, catching him off guard. Her head butted his chest, and he raised his free arm to grab her.

  In a heartbeat, Fawn prayed and shifted into the fastest animal on land, a cheetah. She bounded toward the struggle and knocked Zoe aside. The effort however, allowed Gabriel to jump to his feet. Swiftly backing away, he raised the gun and fired while she was posed in a midair attack. She felt a sting and landed just shy of him. He turned and ran and, as if in slow motion, she watched his attempted escape. Taking a step forward she felt something warm and sticky; her own blood. Gabriel stopped running and faced her, pointing the gun. In the recesses of her awareness she heard Zoe's screams and saw Wade running toward her. Drawing her last vestige of strength, she sprinted, jumped, heard the gun fire again, and landed in front of Gabriel. He stepped backward to avoid her and fell over the ledge.

  With her strength depleted, Fawn dropped to the ground and listened to the hooves of the feral herd as they charged through the canyon below. A scream, silenced almost before it began, evidenced the outcome of Gabriel's crime spree.

  She closed her eyes and shifted. Zoe, Wade, and Mrs. Porter were safe. She could die in peace.

  CHAPTER 25:

  HEALING CRISIS

  Someone holding her hand was the only comfort Fawn received in the midst of excruciating pain. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead and a gentle caress across her cheek. Barely opening her eyes she saw Wade's green ones hovering above hers before she once again returned to temporary oblivion, her only escape from the pain.

  Later—how long she didn’t know—she heard voices whispering and cracked her eyelids. Although still racked by pain, it was bearable. She wasn't going to die after being shot twice. Her body was healing in the accelerated manner unique to all shapelings. She moved her gaze in the direction of the voices. Doc and Wade stood at the foot of her bed. She glanced around the room—sterile, colorless, and smelling of antiseptic. She was in a hospital.

  "She's awake." Fawn heard the happiness in Wade's voice and it made her smile. She raised her arm only to realize all kinds of paraphernalia had been either attached or inserted into it. That small effort proved too much and she dropped it back onto the bed, closing her eyes.

  She heard Doc say, "This is amazing, I've never seen anyone heal this quickly. Normally, it would take two weeks for someone to reach her stage of recovery. It's only been four days."

  She felt a gentle touch on her face and opened her eyes again. Trying to form words, she eventually released one, "Zoe?"

  Wade's smile warmed her heart, "Zoe is doing great and she can't wait until you're well enough for her to visit." Fawn's answering response was a weak smile before drifting into peaceful slumber.

  Again, she awoke. Only this time, she was alone. The room was cast in shadow and she listened to the soft noises of hospital personnel going about the business of caring for the sick. Her pain had almost subsided. For the next hour she pondered the events leading to her hospitalization and her next step. She had accomplished her first mission as a Shapeling Master, and she wondered how the co-Princes would react to the manner in which it had been done. Had she shown wisdom in her decisions? Could she have made better choices that would have avoided injury?

  Unable to postpone the inevitable, she turned her thoughts to Wade and Zoe. With her mission accomplished, it was time to leave. Of course, she would convince Wade to use the same employment agency that she had been hired through, an agency secretly run by the co-Princes. They would find the perfect human to care for Zoe and oversee the ranch's household. As for Wade… She blinked back tears. His kindness during her illness touched her heart in ways she didn't want to acknowledge. A big fat tear slid to her pillow. She loved him. She loved Zoe. She loved Dream Catcher Ranch and she loved Cortez, Colorado.

  Wiping her tears with the edge of the pillowcase, her determination to leave Dream Catcher Ranch became the driving force in her recovery.

  ***

  The next day, Fawn released herself from the hospital. Already, she'd garnered too much attention with the doctors and nurses. Wade respected and understood her decision when she patiently told him about herself and the importance of her species remaining unknown.

  Over the next week, Detectives showed up several times at the ranch trying to solve the bizarre kidnapping of Zoe and Mrs. Porter.

  As for Gabriel's death, Wade, Fawn, and Zoe had truthfully told the police that he had backed away and inadvertently fallen over the ledge while shooting at Fawn. When questioning Mrs. Porter about the death, she hadn't been much help. She'd said that out of fear she'd kept her eyes squeezed shut the entire time. However, a twinkle in her gaze had Fawn wondering if she was telling the whole truth. Had she seen more than she was willing to admit?

  Finally, unable to pinpoint a reason for the strange kidnapping or discover anything about Gabriel prior to his appearance in Cortez, the detectives were frustrated, but promised to continue the investigation.

  CHAPTER 26:

  A CHILD'S WISDOM

  Fawn placed her lime green backpack on top of her suitcases outside the front door and waited for the vehicles she'd already heard approaching. Zoe sat on the porch steps while Wade stood next to a pillar, leaning his shoulder against it. Sam lay at Wade's feet with his head resting on his paws. He whined as the three of them watched her. She gave a weak smile to Zoe and the child blinked rapidly. She turned to look down the drive, choking back the lump in her th
roat.

  Both Wade and Zoe had tried to talk her into staying at the ranch, so she'd tried to explain that being a Shapeling Master required much of her. However, known only to her, the greatest reason for leaving was a broken heart. She loved Wade and Zoe. They had become her family.

  Three cars rounded the drive stirring up dust whirls. Roth and Rainey and their entourage of bodyguards pulled to the front of Wade's ranch house. Burly men, two in each of the front and rear vehicles, a silver Hummer and a black Hummer, exited, scanned the area, and then stood beside their cars. Johnson drove the center vehicle, a midnight black Cadillac Escalade. He stepped from it and waved at Zoe.

  Roth opened the back door of the luxury car and stepped out. He glanced at the gathering on the porch and then turned to reach back into the car. When he faced them again he was holding Davide. Johnson opened Rainey's door and she circled the vehicle to stand beside her husband. Johnson then took up a position at the back of the vehicle. Rainey grinned at Zoe and Fawn as they approached and then looked past them to Wade, still leaning against the pillar. She gave him a hesitant smile.

  When Fawn reached her friends, she bent to kiss Davide's cheek. "Hello, Prince Davide," she whispered and then turned to hug Rainey. "You know you didn't have to come all the way to Colorado to pick me up. I could have flown back to Oregon." Softly she added, "And not in a plane."

  Rainey laughed. "We know. But you sounded like you needed the support of friends."

  Roth interjected, "And Rainey's been itching to take a road trip. We're glad to be here."